St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-09-07
IT is REVOLVING.
The Terrible Story Of Ex-
Warden Reeds Conduct
With Prisoners.
Numerous Witnesses Testify
to His Straying From the
Path Of Reetitude.
What Charles Hunster, From
a Barrel Top, Saw Through
a Window.
The Matpon Tells of Her Sus-
pieions and Advice to the
EX-Wapden.
An Agreement Reached on the
Northwestern Car Com
pany Sale.
Judge MeCluer to File His De-
cision on the Matter
Friday.

A trio of the commissioners of the
Minnesota State Board of Corrections
and Charities sat in the warden's Office
of the Saltwater penitentiary yesterday
afternoon surrounded by prison officials
and other interested parties for the pur-
pose of investigating charges made
against the former warden of the InSti-
tuition, j. A. Reed. Hon. II. r. Wells,
OF Preston, to whom was entrusted the
examination of witnesses for the prose-
cution, is a cOmpactly built, sharp
featured inquiSitOr, and his brown chin
WhiSkerS divided his attention as he
twirled a pair of gold glasses carelesSly
between his fingers. Opposite him, at
the large table used by the committee,
sat his colleagues, Messrs. D. C.. Wells,
of Minneapolis, whose raven burnsides
and high forehead indicated careful
but vigilant examiner, Gen. and C. A.
mlttee, with grey chin whiSkerS and
steel boned spectacles, who was industri-
ously taking notes during the hearing.
Outside the prison walls a group of con-
victs,
IN THE STRIPED GARB
of their degradation, were en-
gagged in the construction of ma
sOnry for a manhole, and, sus-
pended from gilded hooks adjacent to
the Watchmen'S lookout, several cages
full of Warbling canarieS were cheering
the spirits of their feliow-captives. War
den III. j. Stordock, despite the absence
of his natural arms and legs. was con-
spicuous in acane-seated revolving chair
at the head of the table, and at the foot
of this piece of furniture sat his prede-
jolly-looking and with good
natured expression on his round face,
which, terminated in the inevitable chin
WhlSkerS. There was more perturbation
and nervousness in the witnesses than
the principals during the examination,
Ographer to request those testifying to
speak up louder and more distinct.
Fayette Marsh, clean-Shaven and in an
immaculate linen suit, efoss-examined
the. witnesses as the representative of
the eX-warden. Yesterday afternoons s
session was devoted to arranging neces-
Sary details as we'll as to issuing sub
p9naS for desirable witnesses, and, con-
sequently none of the most serious
charges were reached. After consulta-
tiOn the committee decided to hold a1
evening session, with a view to expedit-
ing matters, and it is likely that the in
veStigation will be closed during the
present week.
THE MAIN QUESTION.
AZilda Beaudry, a female convict, was
the first witness sworn in the evening.
She is life prisoner for being an accom-
plice in the murder of her husband. She
claimed to have had intercourse with
the accused on Thanksgiving, 1886, the
first time, and following that date on
Dec. q, 1856. and again on Jan. 81, 1887.
She did not tell Warden Stordock of the
fact until April, 1887. She had been
promised by the accused that he would
be instrumental in obtaining pardon,
and said he was to have good position
in the new refOrmat0ry to be built at
st. Cloud. This was just previous to
hi S going out of the wardenShip. She
would not have told Warden Stordock
such things had not a piece been read to
her taken from the columns of the
GLOBE during March, and said piece
being read to her by one Emma Brown,
and her name was used therin by her.
But she afterwards aScertained that her
name was not in the paper. This article
was said to be written by prisoner
named Charles H. Hunster. The girls
afterwards twitted her about it, but she
always denied it to them. She only
acknowledged it to Warden Stordock
and the matrOn.
MRS. MARY wAIRSHAIR,
a convict, charged with numbering her
husband, was next brought into the
room. She said she had already made
an affidavit and would swear no farther.
She said she was a prisoner, and did not
think it was right for a prisoner to tes-
tify. She would not say any more.
After some parleying Attorney Marsh
asked her if she would not, being a
Catholic, take an oath on the Catholic
Bible, but she still refused, saving, 81
have made an affidavit, and will not
make another until am citizen. Pris-
Oners are only liars, anyhow, so what is
the use of their swearing" Mr.. Marsh
then asked her if she thought of that
when she made her affidavit, and she
said she ''did not know whether she did
OF not" Nothing more was Obtainable,
and the witness was allowed to retire.
The next to be called was
MRS. GEORGE W. M'NEAL,
who testified as follows: 'My name is
Sarah McNeal. am the matrOn; have
been here three years the coming Octo-
Der; am acquainted with AZida Beau
VI
here; she has made statements to
me concerning improper conduct
by Warden Reed; my suspi-
cions were early aroused, when
the warden wanted to see her or some
of the female prisoners; don't think l
had ever said anything to her or given
her hint to that effect; she did not
deny it; in the first place one of the
prisoners stated something to me and
then took some notice myself; one day
last summer, last August l think, an
extremely hot day, Azilda Beaudry
came down to see the
warden, and Mary Weishair
was mad; when the former came back
the latter wanted to go down and | let
her do so, and she remained a while and
came back; the warden said he wanted
to see her and not have the women
know Of it; another thing, she came in
at the side door; the warden turned the
key in the door; it was some time in
November; did not come down stairs,
but heard the key turn in the door; saw
her when she came back; once when
she came back
HER HAIR WAS DISHEvELED.
Another time, after the new deputy